Luke 12:15 (NIV)
Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.
GREED: The assumption it’s all for my CONSUMPTION.
Acts 20:35 (NIV)
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ “
God is HONORED when you give him WHAT he wants, WHEN he wants it, and HOW he wants it.
Proverbs 3:5-11 (NIV)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. 8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. 9 Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first-fruits of all your crops; 10 THEN your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
Malachi 3:10 (NLT)
“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!”
The TITHE is your way of giving RECOGNITION to God.
WHAT does God want? ALL of you.
Deuteronomy 14:23b (TLB)
The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives.
You are a MANAGER, not an OWNER of God’s money.
WHEN does God want it? FIRST.
God can’t be FIRST in our LIVES, if He is LAST in our BUDGETS.
Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
“But seek FIRST his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
HOW does God want you to give it? From the HEART
Matthew 6:21 (NIV)
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
To live GENEROUS lives, we need a GIVING strategy.
FLIP the Script: Live, Save, Give à Give, Save, Live
Move from a 3S Giver to a 3P Giver.
3S Giver: Spontaneous, Sporadic, Sparing
3P Giving: Priority, Percentage, Progressive
GIVING LADDER (Just need a slide of this on the screen)